Mail-bag catcher.



PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.` S. M. HARDEN n R. OCONNELL.

MAIL BAG ATCHER.

APPLICATION FILED 31111.21, 1908.

Wi h1 zoom SHEDRICK M. HARDEN AND RICHARD OCONNELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1s, 1908.

Application filed January 21, 1908.' Serial No. 412,030.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SHEDRICK M. IIAR- DEN and RICHARD O CoNNnLL, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in MailBag Catchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail bag catchers, and one of the principal objects of the same is to provide simple, reliable and eflicient means for catching a mail bag suspended from a crane and throwing it into a car door.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible basket or catcher connected to an arm pivoted to the side of a car to catch a mail bag suspended from a crane and by the action of a spring to throw the bag into the car door.

These and other objects may be attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing a portion 'of a mail car having a mail bag catcher secured thereto and made in accordance with our invention, said figure also showing the post and crane for suspending the bag at the side of the railway track inposition to be caught by the basket and thrown into the car. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a modified form of basket or catcher frame.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a post set into the ground at the side of the railway track, and 2 is an arm secured to said post and projecting toward the track. Extending through the arm 2 and depending therefrom is a rod 3 provided with a head 4 at its upper end and a curved hook 5 at its lower end, said hook adapted to engage the hand strap 6 upon a mail bag 7 and hold it in position to be caught by the catcher and thrown into the car door.

The numeral S designates the frame of a car door, and at the side of said door frame a bracket 9 is secured, said bracket provided with spaced lugs 10. Pivoted between the spaced lugs 10 is an arm 11. Secured to the arm 11 by staples 12 is a catcher basket 13, said basket comprising a wire frame 14 and a flexible body portion 15 secured to the wire frame in any suitable manner. The basket is held to the arm 11 by means of a plate 16 and by rivets 17 passing through said plate 16 and through the iieXible material of which the basket is made and through the arm 11. A suitable spring 18 is secured at the side of the car in line with the arm 11, and connected to said arm 11 is a rope or cord 19, said rope or cord passing into the car door and through an eye 20 or other suitable connection.

The operation of our invention as thus far described may be brieily referred to as follows: The mail bag 7 to be caught and thrown into the door of a mail car is suspended from the rod 3, and as the car moves along toward the bag the upper portion of the wire frame wilxlstrike the bag and throw it into the basket. The arm 11 is carried backward by the weight of the bag 7 until it strikes the spring 18, and the fleXure of said spring throws the arm 11 around toward the door in position to have the mail bag withdrawn from the basket. In case the spring should not work properly the cord or rope 19 is drawn inward, so that the bag 7 may be removed from the basket 13.

As shown in Fig. 2, the basket is made of a wire frame in two parts or sections hinged together and connected by a spring. Curved side rods 21 are connected at one end to a cross bar 22, the threaded ends'23 of said rods passing upwardly through the cross bar 22 and 'fitted with suitable nuts 24. The rods 2l are bent inward near their' upper ends, as shown in dotted lines, and'staples 25 are driven into the cross bar 22 to hold the arms 21 rigidly in place. The rods 21 pass through cross bars 26 and 27, the cross bar 26 being provided with apertures 2S to accommodate the bolts for securing` the frame to the arm 11. A central rod 21 passes through the cross bars 26 and 27 and, at its upper end is screw-threaded and provided with a nut, said threaded portion passing through the cross bar 22. Eyes 29 are formed on the ends of the rods 21 and 21a,

.and connected to these eyes by means of a cross rod 30 is the other section of the basket frame comprising rods 31 and 32, said rods being connected to a cross bar 33. A spring 341 having a spiral portion 35 connected to the rod 30 is provided with an arm 36 having an eye 37 secured underneath the cross bar 27 while the opposite end of the spring is provided with an arm 36a connected to the rod 32. Ropes, or other suitable flexible connections 38, are attached at their ends to a spring in line with the arm for throwing l) the cross bars 22 and 33. said arm into line With the car door.

Having thus described the invention, What In testimony whereof We affix our signais claimed as new, isttures in presence of tWo Witnesses.

The herein described mail bag catcher SHEDRICK M. HARDEN. comprising a crane, a rod provided With a RICHARD OCONNELL.- curved hook for suspending a mail bag, said Witnesses: rod being suspended from the crane, an arm JosEPI-I D. IRosE,

pivoted to the car and carrying a basket, and P. R. BARNES. 

